Dave Hill on London + Jenny Jones | The Guardianhttp://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/davehillblog+politics/jenny-jones
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Voters! Build your own London mayor!http://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/27/guardian-london-mayoral-building-machine
<p>You've heard of <a href="http://www.buildabear.co.uk/">Build-a-Bear</a>. Course you have! Well, now you can build a mayor! Thrillingly, a crack team of Guardian geniuses has created an online machine for assembling a &quot;custom mayor&quot; for London based on your pick from a range of policy pledges. I've already had a go and duly produced a centre-left bricolage comprising 50% Green Jenny Jones, 30% Red Ken Livingstone and 20% Yellow Brian Paddick. That's a little more Brian than I am in real life and a little less Ken, but the basic pattern is bang on. Sorry Boris, by the way.</p><p>In truth, I'm not an ideal mayor builder. After months of covering the campaign I'm only too familiar with just about every policy position the mayor machine offers its users, so the outcome was unlikely to surprise me. You, though, are almost certain to be fresher, sweeter and more innocent than I in every way. So go on - <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/interactive/2012/apr/27/london-mayor-candidate-chooser">give the mayor machine a try</a>.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/27/guardian-london-mayoral-building-machine">Continue reading...</a>London politicsLondonPoliticsKen LivingstoneBoris JohnsonBrian PaddickJenny JonesLondon mayoral election 2012Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:55:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/27/guardian-london-mayoral-building-machineguardian.co.ukThe mayor machine. Photograph: guardian.co.ukDave Hill2012-04-27T15:55:00ZNine questions for Sky to ask Boris Johnsonhttp://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/19/sky-news-question-for-boris-johnson
<p>The second live TV debate of the mayoral election campaign takes place tonight on <a href="http://news.sky.com/home/the-london-debate">Sky News</a>. It cannot possibly be worse than the first. Newsnight's dazzlingly dreadful <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/05/livingstone-boris-mud-slinging-mayoral-election#start-of-comments">interrupting contest</a> two weeks ago generated wasteful heat, little light and another week of journalists ignoring all that boring stuff London mayors are meant to actually do when they're in the job, like alleviating London's chronic housing crisis, improving its transport systems, cleaning up its filthy air and finding the best ways to stop teenagers stabbing each other. </p><p>Sky News has been asking for suggestions for questions to put to Boris Johnson, Ken Livingstone and Brian Paddick (Jenny Jones is not involved this time, which is a shame). Given that the media herd has been engaged in a big old game of Get Ken for months on end, I've nine questions Sky might like to put to Boris to even things up a bit. I've picked the figure in honour of the Conservative candidate's very own nine-point plan.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/19/sky-news-question-for-boris-johnson">Continue reading...</a>Boris JohnsonPoliticsLondon mayoral election 2012London politicsKen LivingstoneJenny JonesSky NewsBrian PaddickThu, 19 Apr 2012 10:48:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/19/sky-news-question-for-boris-johnsonChris Jackson/Getty ImagesBoris Johnson. Photograph: Chris Jackson/Getty ImagesDave Hill2012-04-19T10:48:00ZBoris Johnson: housing and nothingnesshttp://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/18/boris-johnson-housing-policy-london
<p>London is &quot;a first class city with a third class housing system,&quot; according to the National Housing Federation. It's got stats to back this up. A survey by YouGov on its behalf found that four out of five London parents with children living at home are worried that those children <a href="http://www.housing.org.uk/our_regions/london_region/london_news/housing_crisis_will_force_our.aspx">won't be able to live in London</a> when they grow up. Yes, that sounds depressingly right. </p><p>The NHF expresses concern that mayoral candidates &quot;seem to have underestimated the strength of feeling on this issue,&quot; and invites them to give it a higher profile. Ken Livingstone might respond that in his case it's not for want of trying. He's told the <a href="http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2012/04/ken-livingstone-fails-to-let-sunshine-win-the-day/#axzz1sC3vC83p">Financial Times</a> that only one journalist showed up to the launch of his housing policies, which is indeed a terrible thing - not least because Ken's plans are <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/11/ken-livingstone-housing-policies-2012">rather good</a>. </p><p>The one mainstream candidate who seems to be offering nothing more than the current status quo on housing is the one currently leading in the polls: Boris Johnson.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/18/boris-johnson-housing-policy-london">Continue reading...</a>Boris JohnsonKen LivingstoneBrian PaddickPoliticsLondon politicsLondonJenny JonesLondon mayoral election 2012SocietyHousingCommunitiesWed, 18 Apr 2012 21:27:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/18/boris-johnson-housing-policy-londonDavid Noton Photography / Alamy/AlamyBuckingham Palace. Photograph: David Noton Photography / Alamy/AlamyDave Hill2012-04-18T21:27:00ZHow to go Green without ignoring your headhttp://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/17/jenny-jones-green-party-london-mayoral-manifesto
<p><a href="http://www.jennyforlondon.org/">Jenny Jones</a> is not going to be London's next mayor, but that doesn't mean casting a vote for her would be wasted. The joy of the <a href="http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/supplementary-vote/">supplementary vote system</a> (SV) is that, like its longer relative the<a href="http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/?PageID=478"> alternative vote system</a>, it enables you to mark crosses on ballot papers in accordance with the different things your heart and your head might be telling you.</p><p>Londoners get not one but <a href="http://www.londonelects.org.uk/im-voter/how-vote">two votes for mayor</a> - a first and a second preference. An awful lot of people - including, it seems, some very august commentators - are unaware of this. A lot of those who are aware might not have figured out the implications in terms of what the opinion polls are telling us about the possible outcome of the mayoral race.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/17/jenny-jones-green-party-london-mayoral-manifesto">Continue reading...</a>Jenny JonesKen LivingstoneBrian PaddickLondon mayoral election 2012PoliticsLondon politicsLondonBoris JohnsonConservativesGreen partyGreen politicsLabourTue, 17 Apr 2012 14:18:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/17/jenny-jones-green-party-london-mayoral-manifestoAlex Lentati / Evening Standard/Rex FeaturesJenny Jones. Photograph: Alex Lentati / Evening Standard/Rex FeaturesDave Hill2012-04-17T14:18:00ZKen Livingstone is streets ahead of Boris in mayoral cycling policy racehttp://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/06/ken-livingstone-jenny-jones-boris-johnson-london-cycling-policies
<p>The most telling paradox of Boris Johnson's mayoralty has been his promotion of himself as a &quot;cycling mayor&quot; while at the same time eschewing the measures required to transform London into a truly cyclist-friendly city. The celebrity Conservative is a vivid personification of the appeal of pedal power, yet his road-management priority has been smoothing the path of the private motor vehicle at the expense of just about everything else. </p><p>His cycle hire scheme has been profitable in publicity terms for his good friends at Barclays bank, yet expensive for Transport for London. His 2008 manifesto pledge was to bring in cycle hire at no cost to the tax-payer. Instead, public funds that had been earmarked for suburban cycle routes were diverted to pay for the launch of the hire scheme, which provides many rail commuters with a cheap alternative to the Tube but most Londoners with nothing at all. Barclays has met only a fraction of its cost.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/06/ken-livingstone-jenny-jones-boris-johnson-london-cycling-policies">Continue reading...</a>Ken LivingstoneBoris JohnsonConservativesJenny JonesLabourGreen partyGreen politicsLondonLondonPoliticsLondon politicsCyclingCycling holidaysBrian PaddickFri, 06 Apr 2012 16:15:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/06/ken-livingstone-jenny-jones-boris-johnson-london-cycling-policiesWestminister CouncilA postcard showing the London cycling school set up in 1819Dave Hill2012-04-06T16:15:00ZBoris, Ken and the politics of mud-wrestlinghttp://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/05/livingstone-boris-mud-slinging-mayoral-election
<p>Having returned yesterday evening from melancholy business overseas, I commenced my re-engagement with the capital's democratic process by watching a live quarreling contest on the BBC. The <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mk25">Newsnight</a> London mayoral debate, as it was optimistically billed, mostly comprised front-runners Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson interrupting each other while Jenny Jones struggled to get a sentence in edgeways and ex-cop Brian Paddick made set-piece, walk-on interventions in the manner of a stage village constable threatening the local hooligans with a clip round the ear.</p><p>Brian emerged best from <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2012/apr/04/boris-johnson-v-ken-livingstone-london-mayoral-debate-live">the proceedings</a>, helped by Ken and Boris being less inclined to butt in when he was speaking than when each other were. Jenny too probably picked up some support, partly out of sympathy because Jeremy Paxman in the chair kept failing to shut his three fellow blokes up, and partly because she suggested that Ken and Boris <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/apr/05/london-mayoral-candidates-tax-details">publish in full</a> their earnings and tax payments and so clear the way for a little more discussion about, you know, dreary old stuff like policies for London instead (not her exact words). </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/05/livingstone-boris-mud-slinging-mayoral-election">Continue reading...</a>Ken LivingstoneLondon mayoral election 2012PoliticsLondon politicsLondonBrian PaddickLabourConservativesLiberal DemocratsJenny JonesGreen partyJeremy PaxmanBoris JohnsonNewsnightThu, 05 Apr 2012 09:27:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/apr/05/livingstone-boris-mud-slinging-mayoral-electionJohn Stillwell/PAJenny Jones, Brian Paddick, Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson take part in the LBC radio mayoral election debate on 3 April 2012. Photograph: John Stillwell/PADave Hill2012-04-05T09:27:00ZJenny Jones stands out in opposing High Speed 2http://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/jan/11/transport-transport
<p>I have two problems with <a href="http://www.hs2.org.uk/abouths2ltd">High Speed 2</a>, the project to build a super-fast rail link between Euston and Birmingham <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jan/10/hs2-rail-link-green-light?newsfeed=true">given approval</a> by the government on Tuesday. The first is that &pound;17 billion could surely be spent on transport (or other) projects far more useful than conveying business executives between the capital and the second city half an hour faster than at present. The second is that if business executives travelling between Birmingham and London really, really must reach their destinations half an hour sooner than they do now, why don't they just get an earlier train?</p><p>If that means their waking up at 6.30 instead of 7.00 in the morning, I'm sure the tax payer could meet the cost of the high performance alarm clocks required, should the nation's economy depend on it. But where do the capital's 2012 mayoral contenders stand on the issue of HS2?</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/jan/11/transport-transport">Continue reading...</a>Transport policyTransportKen LivingstoneRail transportBoris JohnsonGreen economyBrian PaddickTravel and transportGreen partyPoliticsEnvironmentLondon politicsLondonGreen politicsLondon mayoral election 2012Jenny JonesMayoral electionsWed, 11 Jan 2012 17:02:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/jan/11/transport-transportHS2 HANDOUT/EPAAn artist's impression of a HS2 train crossing the Birmingham and Fazeley canal viaduct. Photograph: HS2 HANDOUT/EPADave Hill2012-01-11T17:02:00ZJenny Jones and the practical case against stop-and-searchhttp://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/jan/06/jenny-jones-green-party-stop-and-search
<p>Indulge me for a moment. Last June I <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jun/02/young-londoners-police-stop-and-search">wrote a piece for Comment is Free</a> about a Boris Johnson &quot;community conversation&quot; held on <a href="http://davehill.typepad.com/claptonian/">my patch of Hackney</a> where a local black churchman said that law-abiding young people he knew perceived the police as being &quot;not on their side,&quot; as &quot;thuggish,&quot; and as &quot;pretty much another gang&quot; that was &quot;abusing their powers of stop-and-search.&quot;</p><p>Boris's policing deputy Kit Malthouse, who succeeded him as chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA), responded with the welcome frankness he now and then displays. &quot;We are very conflicted about stop-and-search,&quot; he said. &quot;We recognise that it can be controversial and frankly also that there appear to be quite a lot of very rude police officers, who are more aggressive than they need to be - rude, disrespectful, and not necessarily conforming to the rules.&quot; </p><p>The Met must reduce the amount of wasteful stop and searches it currently carries out. Stop-and-search has been used so much it has alienated communities and hardened negative stereotypes. The Met need to move from the current blanket system to a more targeted approach which should hopefully go some way to reducing the racial disparity which has grown over recent years.<br /> <br />My personal feedback, from people who live in, for example, Tottenham and Southwark, is that this tactic is breeding resentment and even hatred in some communities. It's a double problem of quantity and quality; when stop-and-search must be done it should be done with extreme politeness. Officers should have additional training and follow the example of the police in Northern Ireland who dramatically improved the relationship between themselves and the communities they were protecting.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/jan/06/jenny-jones-green-party-stop-and-search">Continue reading...</a>Green politicsStop and searchGreen partyPoliticsLondon politicsLondonBoris JohnsonPoliceJenny JonesFri, 06 Jan 2012 08:26:42 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/jan/06/jenny-jones-green-party-stop-and-searchJohnny Green/guardian.co.ukGreen party mayoral candidate Jenny Jones. Photograph: Johnny Green/guardian.co.ukDave Hill2012-01-06T08:26:42ZJenny Jones: the Green mayoral bidhttp://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2011/apr/06/greenpolitics-london
<p>When Jenny Jones <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/mar/21/greens-pick-jenny-jones-candidate-london-mayor">became the Green Party's mayoral candidate for 2012</a>, she <a href="http://www.mayorwatch.co.uk/greens-pick-jones-as-2012-mayoral-hopeful/201114240/comment-page-1#comment-6240">stressed</a> that she'd be &quot;urging Londoners to use their vote to elect more Green [London] Assembly Members next year&quot; and pledged to make &quot;fighting cuts to housing benefit, the NHS and youth services a key part of my campaign to be Mayor.&quot; These are sound priorities for a candidate who won't pretend that she expects to win. But I hope very much that her manifesto sets out full and detailed programmes for all the key mayoral policy areas.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2011/apr/06/greenpolitics-london">Continue reading...</a>Green politicsPoliticsLondon politicsGreen partyLondonJenny JonesLondon mayoral election 2012Mayoral electionsWed, 06 Apr 2011 10:47:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2011/apr/06/greenpolitics-londonJohnny Green/guardian.co.ukJenny Jones, who will stand at the Green party's London mayoral candidate next year. Photograph: Johnny Green/guardian.co.ukDave Hill2011-04-06T10:47:00ZJenny Jones despairs of IPCC over Worboyshttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2010/jan/21/jenny-jones-john-worboys-police-complaints-failure
<p>She writes:</p><p>Despite evidence not being gathered, witnesses not being interviewed, and evidence of officer prejudice about the likelihood of the offence – ie black cabbies are a good bunch who wouldn't carry drugs or alcohol in their cabs, but women lie about rape – despite all this and Worboys being let loose to rape more women, the IPCC suggests a written warning will act as a wake up call to the Met. I can already hear the sound of snoring in police canteens.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2010/jan/21/jenny-jones-john-worboys-police-complaints-failure">Continue reading...</a>PoliceGreen partyJenny JonesThu, 21 Jan 2010 16:42:01 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2010/jan/21/jenny-jones-john-worboys-police-complaints-failureDave Hill2010-01-21T16:42:01ZLondon Green Jenny Jones speaks out about G20 policinghttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2009/apr/24/police-paul-stephenson-jenny-jones-g20
<p>She writes:</p><p>This is a make or break moment for the Metropolitan Police Authority and Londoners will expect us to reflect their anxieties about the way that the G20 protests where policed. I really worry that the MPA is about to sideline itself by rejecting the concerns Londoners are voicing.</p><p>I welcome the Parliamentary inquiry on the way that demonstrations are policed, but many senior officers outside of London regularly observe that the Met Police are a law unto themselves and that makes it the MPA's job to sort this situation out. The review by Her Majesties Inspectorate of Constabulary is also a welcome opportunity for existing and retired police officers to have a discussion about the policy and tactics used at public order events, but it does have the appearance of an internal dialogue between fellow professionals.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2009/apr/24/police-paul-stephenson-jenny-jones-g20">Continue reading...</a>Boris JohnsonLondonIan TomlinsonSir Paul StephensonLondon politicsPoliceJenny JonesFri, 24 Apr 2009 15:23:45 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2009/apr/24/police-paul-stephenson-jenny-jones-g20Dave Hill2009-04-24T15:23:45ZLondon Green Jenny Jones angry over G20 policinghttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2009/apr/17/boris-g20-police-assault-ian-tomlinson
<p>Jenny Jones:</p><p>I've been on the Metropolitan Police Authority for nearly nine years and in all that time I've never been so angry with the police as I am now...The Met and City police forces have brought themselves into disrepute and have lowered public confidence to almost rock bottom. The video footage of police actions during the protests, which appear to show the use of inappropriate force, are not just embarrassing for the Met and City police, they have probably brought policing to a point of no return.</p><p>Will it be seen as independent? Will it take statements from legal observers and protesters? And will it look at other demos where the police have been accused of violence, from the Gaza demo, to the Countryside Alliance march. If it does none or nearly none of those things then it is a waste of time.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2009/apr/17/boris-g20-police-assault-ian-tomlinson">Continue reading...</a>Boris JohnsonIan TomlinsonPoliceLondonLondon politicsJenny JonesFri, 17 Apr 2009 07:46:12 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2009/apr/17/boris-g20-police-assault-ian-tomlinsonDave Hill2009-04-17T07:46:12ZGreen Party AM Jenny Jones demands action from Paul Stephenson over G20 policinghttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2009/apr/15/boris-g20-police-assault-ian-tomlinson
<p>From the Standard:</p><p>A protester who was smacked in the face by a police officer and hit on the legs with his baton during the G20 demonstrations is &quot;deeply traumatised and terrified&quot;, her family said today.</p><p>This new video footage confirms what many of us knew, that the assault on Ian Thomlinson was far from being an isolated incident during the G20 protest.</p><p>I have been copied in to a large number of the reports of alleged police unprovoked assaults and misbehaviour which are now on the desk of the Independent Police Complaints Commission. It's time for Paul Stephenson to restore public trust by showing that lessons will be learned. The use of kettling has to be curtailed and all officers seen acting unprofessionally must be traced and disciplined. Any attempt to avoid accountability by hiding police uniform numbers, destroying video images, or collusion over statements, must be severely dealt with.&quot;</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2009/apr/15/boris-g20-police-assault-ian-tomlinson">Continue reading...</a>Boris JohnsonIan TomlinsonPoliceLondon politicsLondonJenny JonesWed, 15 Apr 2009 10:56:20 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2009/apr/15/boris-g20-police-assault-ian-tomlinsonDave Hill2009-04-15T10:56:20ZGreen Party's Jenny Jones despairs of Boris Johnsonhttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2009/jan/26/greenpolitics-london
<p>She said:</p><p>I'm going to give you the gist of something I wrote for the current mayor, Boris Johnson, when I felt that he didn't understand what being green was all about...I actually made him sit down and read it. Unfortunately I don't think it did a bit of good...I said there are three tests of <em>faux</em> sustainability, of false environmentalism.</p><p>The first is, does it only ask one group to act? If you're only asking one section of society to do something then it's not going to work. We're all in this together...</p><p>One of my sadnesses about still being an Assembly member, and it's a great job and I love it, one of the sadnesses is having to work with Boris Johnson. When I say &quot;work with&quot; I mean have to be in the same building, I have to listen to what he says, I have to react to it, and it is intensely frustrating. It is a nightmare.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2009/jan/26/greenpolitics-london">Continue reading...</a>Green politicsLondon politicsGreen partyPoliticsJenny JonesMon, 26 Jan 2009 17:12:12 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2009/jan/26/greenpolitics-londonDave Hill2009-01-26T17:12:12ZJenny Jones AM talks about Boris Johnson and greening Londonhttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2009/jan/19/boris-greenpolitics
<p>She's been a <a href="http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/members/jonesj/biog.jsp">Green Party AM</a> since the GLA began, found Ken Livingstone was a man she and her colleagues could do business with and is as yet unable to say the same of Boris Johnson. As well as elaborating on all that, she talks about cycling, climate change, buses, congestion, what a Green-led London would be like and makes a brilliant attempt at answering one of my more unreasonable questions. Also, hear me say &quot;velo&quot; instead of &quot;velib&quot;. (I was concentrating on my levels, OK?) </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2009/jan/19/boris-greenpolitics">Continue reading...</a>Boris JohnsonGreen politicsLondon politicsGreen partyPoliticsJenny JonesTue, 20 Jan 2009 18:12:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2009/jan/19/boris-greenpoliticsDave Hill2009-01-20T18:12:00ZBoris Johnson accused of lying by Jenny Jones AMhttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2008/nov/12/blogpost
<p>Helene Mulholland was at <a href="http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/mqt.jsp">MQT</a> for the Guardian today. She writes:</p><p>Boris Johnson was today branded &quot;a liar&quot; in the London assembly chamber after he promised to help Londoners through the economic downturn.</p><p>Jenny Jones, a Green assembly member, barracked the mayor of London in front of a full public gallery for claiming he was doing all he could to help Londoners through the recession, while at the same time introducing above-inflation fares for the next eight years...</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2008/nov/12/blogpost">Continue reading...</a>Jenny JonesWed, 12 Nov 2008 16:41:07 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2008/nov/12/blogpostDave Hill2008-11-12T16:41:07ZBoris Johnson upbraided by Green Party AM Jenny Jones over recession in Londonhttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2008/oct/28/borisjohnson-jennyjones
<p>One of the Assembly's two Green Party members, <a href="http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/members/jonesj.jsp">Jenny Jones</a> is deputy chair of the planning and housing committee, a member of the Transport Committee and the MPA and a sharp interrogator of Mayor Johnson at question time. Here she sets out her alternative to his approach to the coming recession. </p><p>Life at City Hall seems more and more like being in a parallel universe, where nonsense is meant to make sense and common sense is laughed at. After months of unbridled &quot;optimism&quot; in the face of the financial crisis, Boris Johnson announced today that he is developing a &quot;recovery plan&quot; for London's economy. Yet, unluckily for all of us, he still seems more concerned with tax cuts and defending his allies in the City rather than protecting Londoners by dealing with the root causes of the malaise facing London's economy.</p><p>London's over-reliance on the financial services sector makes it uniquely vulnerable to economic shocks. A change in strategy is needed to make London more resilient in the face of not only volatile global markets but also the likely economic fallout from climate change-induced extreme weather events and future energy price shocks brought about by dwindling oil supplies. The Boris economic recovery plan seems aimed at attempting to restore the City to its former glory, without questioning the basic model that caused the problem. This just sets us up to fail again in the future.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2008/oct/28/borisjohnson-jennyjones">Continue reading...</a>Boris JohnsonGreen politicsLondon politicsLondonGreen partyPoliticsJenny JonesTue, 28 Oct 2008 13:08:51 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2008/oct/28/borisjohnson-jennyjonesDave Hill2008-10-28T13:08:51ZGreen Party's Jenny Jones was offered a job by Boris Johnsonhttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2008/sep/11/blogpost1
<p>Which member of the London Assembly finds Boris Johnson most infuriating? On the evidence of the four Mayor's Question Times so far, I'd say it was the Green Party's Jenny Jones. Her interrogations of him in the chamber have reminded me of a kind yet demanding primary school teacher having her patience sorely tested by a gifted but exasperating pupil. Yesterday, in the City Hall cafe, she gave me an insight into a less public exchange between the two. The way she told it, it went a bit like this:</p><p><strong>The Blond</strong>: &quot;Would you consider becoming my informal adviser on environmental issues?&quot;</p><p><strong>The Green</strong>: &quot;What, so you can not pay me for the job and ignore everything I tell you too?&quot;</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2008/sep/11/blogpost1">Continue reading...</a>Jenny JonesThu, 11 Sep 2008 11:18:33 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/uk/davehillblog/2008/sep/11/blogpost1Dave Hill2008-09-11T11:18:33Z